The Phoenix Suns hosted the Seattle Sonics, or I guess that would be Supersonics under the circumstances, in a 40th anniversary celebration tonight. I turned the game on the local outlet, KUTP, minutes before it started. It was black and white, and they listed the Supersonics’ starting lineup, then the Suns’, complete with numbers and letters which took up nearly the whole screen. As the teams were warming up, I noticed Steve Nash had a headband on. So did Boris Diaw, Grant Hill, Amare Stoudemire, and a few others. Maybe they all did. Seeing Nash in a headband was quite odd, though with his long, stringy hair by today’s standards, he somehow fit the part. (Diaw would be the lone Sun who kept his headband on the entire game).
Once the game started, it was shown primarily from one camera, about mid-level on the side, which would follow the action back and forth. The only exception would be during a free throw, when the camera angle was the same but slightly lower on the side, with a slightly closer shot. And the score would show only after every two or three baskets, not every possession. The only constant on the screen was the clock near the top, just big enough to see but not in the way of anything. No the shot clock, not a sponsor, not any stats on runs, points in the paint, fast break points—nothing. And they even had the little hair-like lines which meandered across the picture from time to time, like it was in the old days. And whenever they did show a player and his number, it was in big block-like fashion, such as
44 - KURT THOMAS
Except it was in white, of course, covering the entire bottom of the screen. And wasn’t always very visible if the background was white. (Man, they thought of EVERYTHING!) Unfortunately, the Suns played like a first year team in the first quarter, trailing by 20 at its conclusion. Strangely enough, as I felt like I was watching a replay of an old game, I wasn’t too concerned. Guess I was lost in time and was enthralled by the broadcast more than the score.
By the way, there were no short-shorts or throwback jerseys involved. And no, the refs didn’t suddenly decide to call traveling or palming the ball, which may have helped snap me back into reality. But at every commercial, appropriate music was played, starting with some Doors and progressing chronologically as the game went on. And a highlight of a past Suns’ great was shown. Connie Hawkins, Alvan Adams, Walter “Sweet D” Davis, Paul Westphal, Kevin Johnson, and on and on. Speaking of being snapped back into reality, an anti-smoking commercial was shown near the end of the first period, when I half-expected to see “I’d walk a mile for a Camel.”
At the start of the second quarter, the game was shown in color. Although it was ‘70s style color. In other words, it was a little sloppy-with bright colors sometimes “following” a player, or the court luminating unexcpectedly when the camera would move. Priceless, I tell you. And still the simple block letters telling the team names and score, although now covering only the bottom third of the screen rather than half. But still only periodically, and briefly.
At different points in the first half, the Suns brought former and current broadcasters on. George Allen was asked to do the last minute of the half; “Nash for threeeeee- - got it,” he said, growling the last two words. Al McCoy, recent hall of fame inductee and longtime Suns radio announcer who did simulcasts for a long time, led off the second quarter with former partner Greg Schulte, who now does play-by-play for the Diamondbacks. Seemed like old times. Gary Bender also sat in for awhile. Former Sun Eddie Johnson, who is the normal cohort of Tom Leander and former partner of Bender, offered the most consistent, high-quality insight. As he usually does.
The Supersonics scored 33 in the first quarter, but only 30 during the second and third combined. And the Suns ended up winning by eight. And to cap of####reat night, my guy Shawn Marion did a post game interview with Leander. Just before the interview concluded, Leander mentioned that they had discussed different ring of honorees and shown highlights of each during the game. And how he said they needed to make room for the Matrix. Marion seemed a little humbled and said he would be honored. As they bid their adieus, Marion sang, “Tooooom Leander,” and mutual respect was obvious. Perhaps that was a “guess you had to be there” moment, since my description doesn’t convey the feeling.
There was more, so much more. Like McCoy recalling a “Ron Lee Floor Score” contest that a station had run one season while Lee was with the team in the late ‘70s and was known for diving for loose balls. Fans were invited to keep track during the season, and the winner at the end won a new waterbed. Or opening of the broadcast with Leander and Johnson looking like Mod Squad wanna-bees, complete with old-style microphones. Or the highlights of past Suns greats leading into commercials. Ah, the memories. And I loved the cheerleaders’ getup during the second (‘70s?) quarter, complete with orange tops and hot pants, oversized white earrings and white calf-high boots. And I didn’t watch a second of the game on TNT, which I imagine didn’t pick it up until the Bulls and Blazers were done overtiming. And I understand that in today’s NBA. But fortunately I didn’t have to deal with that on this evening. For a brief time at least, I got to be in the middle of nostalgia. And it was beautiful. Thanks to KUTP TV, the Phoenix Suns, and all who played a part in the first 39 years.
Well, isn’t THIS a kick in the teeth. This blog, that is. The one I didn’t think I’d be writing. But unfortunately, I have to. This was the year I was certain that the Phoenix Suns would rise to the top. Claim the NBA title that has avoided them like the plague for so long. And if not for a few untimely and unfortunate circumstances, we aren’t having this conversation. Even though the Suns have been one of the league’s most successful, and well-run, franchises, the ultimate goal has eluded them. Until this year, I thought. Which is why this one hurts more than ever. I haven’t been as pumped up for a game of any sort as I was for game six Friday night.
Sure, we could play the “what if” game all day long. What if Steve Nash hadn’t butted heads with Tony Parker late in the first game. What if Bruce Bowen had been suspended for his knee to Nash’s groin in game three. Does Robert Horry plant a hard foul on Nash if Bowen’s already out? Probably not. What if the league decides to fine Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw, but not suspend them? Or suspend Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen as well for venturing onto the court during play early in the same game? Or what if Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni had played his bench more during the season so he could rely on them when needed? Therein lies the biggest what if of them all.
Phoenix, Arizona has three all-sports radio stations. With virtually every sport imaginable existing in this town, (okay, there aren’t a lot of skiing or dogsled races going on), all three have no problem filling their airwaves with pertinent talk by the hosts and callers, year round. But make no mistake, the Suns own this town. Other than the occasional “breakout” season by ASU’s Sun Devil football team, and the Diamondbacks World Series run in 2001, the Suns are the king of the Phoenix sports scene. Especially since Frank Kush was unceremoniously dumped as ASU’s coach in 1979. Granted, Arizona State has a ton of things going for it right now-baseball, softball, women’s basketball, both men’s and women’s golf, (golf? Did someone say ‘golf’? I’m in!) Where was I now? Oh yeah. Back to the Suns.
The rhetoric over the suspensions following game four has been tossed about to the Nth degree already, so I won’t revisit that again, other than to say that for every “a rule is a rule” statement I heard from the league, I can produce multiple examples where a rule is not a rule. But #### that later. (Speaking of morons, anyone heard from David Stern lately? Okay, that was a cheap shot. At least I didn’t check him into the scorer’s table. Oops, another cheap shot. Horry. Uh, I mean sorry. Uncalled for. Unless you’re Horry, of course. Who said that Nash flopped. Sure he did. Which makes about as much sense as thinking it was smart to “foul” the best free-throw shooter on the court with 18 seconds left.)
This series slipped away from the Suns late in game four. In the fourth quarter, the Suns trailed the big bad Spurs by 11 points, yet somehow found a way to toughen up on D, hit some big shots, and win in San Antonio’s building. That should have been the turning point of the series. It was not, unfortunately. Instead, what we heard for the next two days was talk of the impending decision from the league. Lost was the fact that the Suns did something no one expected them to do. Think about it. Late in that game, many thought the series was over, with San Antonio about to go up three games to one. But it wasn’t. However, the momentum lost between a great Suns win and the game five tipoff was crucial. Not due to the suspensions, mind you, but due to the simple fact that the Suns played Spurs-type basketball in the Spurs’ building at a crucial time, and it was overlooked. The Suns momentum was lost in the non-stop discussions regarding suspensions. The Suns never recovered.
Which brings us to game five. A game that the Suns should have won. If there’s one thing that D’Antoni should have learned in his three-plus seasons running the Suns, it’s that depth is a great thing. Two years ago, Joe Johnson broke his face against the Mavericks. Last year, with no Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas, and a hobbling Raja Bell, the Suns lost again in the conference finals. If these events don’t point out the value o####ood bench, nothing will. Yes coach, you had the horses to win it all this year. Everybody knows that. But apparently your preparation is a little faulty. I’ll give you kudos for even getting to the conference finals last year when no one thought you had a snowball’s chance in hell. And how you didn’t see at that point in time the value of a solid bench is beyond me. I’ll take your top eight against anyone else’s top eight any day of the week. Problem is, you’re allowed twelve. And so are they. Marcus Banks, signed to back up Nash? Seven minutes in the playoffs. Jalen Rose? Nine. Jumaine Jones? Zero. I’m sensing a pattern here. Hopefully you are, too. These three were all off-season acquisitions. And you drafted nobody last year, other than Nate Robinson, who was only done so with the purpose of trading him.
Personally, I think Marcus Banks could’ve slowed down Parker a little bit in certain situations. Rose could’ve provided some experience as game five (and game one, for that matter, with Nash bleeding) wound down. Pat Burke? Now there were some fouls to use on Tim Duncan, who, as we all know, is not a very good free throw shooter. But that would have meant that you would have had to play all of them during the regular season to get something resembling consistency out of them. Something you failed to do, coach.
To be fair, the last quarter of game four showed me that your team can, in fact, play tough defense when needed. The 20 point rout of the Spurs in game two proved to me that your style can and will succeed in the post-season. Whether it succeeds under you or some subsequent coach remains to be seen. The only knock on you that has not been resolved is your short rotation. If I needed proof when I mentioned it before, I don’t think I do anymore. If you had a bench you could count on, whether it’s the fact that they haven’t played enough or are not capable, either one falls on you. You called the shots. And regardless of which it is, you failed miserably.
Many names will be bandied about in the off-season scuttlebutt while trades are mentioned, especially since the Suns already have the 24th and 29th picks in the first round, not to mention possibly picking up the Hawks first round pick if it’s not a top three—something that will be decided tomorrow, during the lottery drawing. And while the temptation will no doubt be great to move a vital player or two, I think that would be a mistake. Nash and Stoudemire are what I would consider untouchable, as is Shawn Marion. Marion’s name will be brought up like it has been the last two years, but dealing him just doesn’t work on so many fronts. Add in Leandro Barbosa and Raja Bell, and you have a strong core with which to move forward. Barbosa had a poor series against San Antonio, but it would be ludicrous to move him at this point. Like Stoudemire, he is only 24 with a tremendous upside. But the fact of the matter is that, after factoring in even a couple signed draft picks, the Suns will be 10 to 12 million over the salary cap, if no other moves are made. And since the NBA regulations state that for every dollar over the cap, a dollar-for-dollar luxury tax must be paid to the league. (To improve the quality of officiating, I can only speculate. But, hey, a rule's a rule, right?). Suns owner Robert Sarver has stated that he would not be opposed to paying it if the team is title-worthy. Unfortunately, for the third straight year, a case could be made that we still don’t know if they are or not. But the bottom line is that a significant move or two could be made, and such moves should not come as much of a surprise.
Speaking of Stoudemire, I am aware that he has gotten a lot of flak for leaving the bench area and therefore inviting the decision by the league to suspend him. I understand that. He also played in all 82 games this season after recovering from surgeries on both knees, one a microfracture, and being named All-NBA first team. Like most fans, I don’t know a lot about the microfracture procedure, other than it entails drilling holes in the leg bones near the knee and running ligaments through them, while encouraging them to grow and adhere. At any rate, Stoudemire showed a passion for the game this season. He changed his number from 32 to 1, to remind him of his quest to be the best. He got a new contract shortly before last season, and shortly before it was learned that he would need the major surgery. It’s hard to say that microfracture surgery could ever be a good thing, but he made it as good as can be expected. While he was in the early recovery stages, and not yet able to do a lot of running and conditioning, he worked on his mid-range jumper and his free throws. And it showed. I don’t think anyone could accuse him of playing simply to pick up a paycheck. Yes, he needs to show a little more maturity on the court. But I’ll still take him. He’s what is referred to as a keeper. Thirty-eight points in the game six loss. Tell me his absence didn't make a difference in game five.
Looking at the contract situation of various Suns, it appears the following will not be back: Sean Marks. Unrestricted free agent. Played in three games. ‘Nuff said. Jumaine Jones. Unrestricted free agent. Played in 18 games. Which matches the number of games he was inactive to close out the season. Probably could have helped more, had he not had an injury in the pre-season and/or been given more of a chance. Jalen Rose. Though many fans wanted to see more of him, (including yours truly), his lack of athleticism and the fact that he is a defensive liability probably sealed his fate.
On the other hand, it would be easy to say that Kurt Thomas was the Suns’ most consistent player in the Spurs series. Granted, he didn’t exactly shut down Tim Duncan, but he did allow his teammates to play the other Spurs straight up and stay at home. Until they were instructed by D’Antoni to do otherwise, apparently. And seeing Duncan play several games in a row makes one realize just how great he is in the low post, on both ends of the floor. Even through Thomas’ tough defense, Duncan hit on a vast array of shots. (Like I mentioned before kids-using the glass is a wonderful thing). Yet the Suns consistently let the Spurs perimeter shooters beat them.
Rumor has it, Boris Diaw has been given a Bunsen burner by the team as a lovely off-season parting gift, and has been instructed to sit on it. Hopefully it will be enough to light a fire under his ####.
Reportedly, Eric Piatkowski has been told that he will be back next season. Good thing, too. His 2.5 point average in 11 regular season games would be hard to replace. He played a grand total of three minutes in the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against 37 year old three point shooters having a place on the team, as long as they can forecheck. But I just don’t see Piatkowski filling the bill. Unless the coach decides to let him off the bench once in awhile.
That would leave three roster spots open, provided the Suns make no other moves, which is certainly not a given. Phoenix already has the 24th and 29th picks in the first round of the draft. Based on how the lottery chips fall, they may also have Atlanta’s first round pick, thanks to the Joe Johnson/Boris Diaw deal. (Dang, should have gotten the Bunsen burner then). Stay tuned tomorrow for the final word on that. (Much more speculation regarding off-season moves to come, but that’s fodder for a later time. In the meantime, can you say “Mike Conley, Jr”?).
Visiting the “what if” question one final time would bring us to the realization that the Suns very well could have, and perhaps should have, won it all this year. Jerry Colangelo, who put this town on the sports map, saw his tenure with the team come to an end with its loss in game six. The fact that he never realized a championship with the team he helped mold from day one, and later purchased and sold, is a crying shame. And what seemed like such an immediately bright future just a couple seasons ago has now given way to the harsh reality that windows of opportunity seldom stay open very long in this business. Unless you have a Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson on your team. And the Suns have gone from the next big thing to just another also-ran. A season which I thought would mirror the 2006 Indianapolis Colts turned into, once again, more like the Buffalo Bills of the early ‘90s. Except the Bills at least got there. Nash is now 33 years old. Bell is 30. Yes, Stoudemire is still young, as are Barbosa and Diaw. But even Marion just turned 29 a couple weeks ago. Funny how times flies when you’re having fun.
Sunset? Perhaps. And unlike every other one in Arizona, this one may not be pretty.
There have been more twists in this series than some teams see in a year. Steve Nash gets his nose split wide open late in game one, and I’m sure everyone immediately thought that he may miss significant time in the next game, which of course he did not. Then came the Bruce Bowen leg flail in game two, after which Amare Stoudemire referred to the Spurs as a “dirty team.” Stoudemire later said he was specifically referring to Bowen and Manu Ginobili. (Earlier this season, Ginobili gave Bell a forearm shiver that cost Bell a game due to injury, a play I’m sure all the Suns remember.) If you haven’t heard, Robert Horry committed a flagrant foul on Steve Nash late in game 4. Perhaps out of frustration, perhaps with intent. Following the subsequent suspensions of Horry, Stoudemire, and Diaw, Commissioner David Stern and NBA Punishment-Hander-Outer Stu Jackson were fried by every media outlet in the country. (Isn’t it just a little ironic that the player who called the Spurs dirty sits out a game as a result of a dirty play by Horry?) The phrases “a rule is a rule,” “immediate vicinity,” and “gray area” were thrown around more often than Bowen shows up on youtube. A couple of my favorites were, “It’s not a matter of fairness, it’s a matter of correctness.” Huh? Actually Stu, it turned out to be neither. In fact, it wasn’t in the “immediate vicinity” of either. Better luck next time. And “The rule is the rule . . . We intend to apply it consistently.” Strike two. (Look for a breaking ball low and away, Stu Mendoza.)
A dangerous precedent was set with the Jackson/Stern decision. What is there to stop a team from sending out it’s 12th man to bodycheck with the intent of inciting a reaction from the other team, which would result in a suspension of one or more players? For this, I bring in Alex Trebec. “The answer is: nothing.” I’m sure the league will change the rule after the season. But for now, I’ll take “Gray Areas for $500, Alex.”
And what does “immediate vicinity” mean, anyway? Stu Jackson-Mendoza, still trying to raise his average above .150, said in a local radio interview that Stoudemire and Diaw were 20 to 25 feet away from their seats. So, had their seats been nearer to the “altercation,” would they have been, say, only 10 to 15 feet away? Would that still be in the “immediate vicinity?” Ah, the metric system is a beautiful thing, isn’t it Mr. Mendoza? Perhaps we should apply it to your batting average. It may help. Or to your gray area, if you had one. Which we know you don’t. You told us over and over. But repeating an ambiguous rule makes neither your decision nor the rule right.
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Phoenix. Pronunciation: \'fe-niks\ Function: noun
: a legendary bird which according to one account lived 500 years, burned itself to ashes on a pyre, and rose alive from the ashes to live another period; also: a person or thing likened to the phoenix
Through five games of one of the better series in recent memory, the San Antonio Spurs lead the Phoenix Suns 3-2. And the better team almost always wins in a seven game series. Which is why I like the Suns chances of winning two straight. Through the five games, the Suns have outscored the Spurs 497-486. One could be so bold as to say that, save for a Nash-Gash and an unfortunate suspension, this series may be over. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.
In the ’05 playoffs, Joe Johnson took a vicious fall against the Mavericks. He basically broke his face, yet the Suns still prevailed without him, only to fall the Spurs in five games. (Happy in Atlanta, Joe? At least you’re the main guy now, aren’t you?) Heading into the following season, Amare Stoudemire was thought to be lost for the season after micro-fracture surgery on one knee and a more common surgery to his other knee. Most NBA scribes labeled the Suns a .500 team at best. Mike D’Antoni though, said that his team would still win 50 games and be a force in the playoffs. After winning 54 and losing 28, and Kurt Thomas and Raja Bell to injury, the Suns made it to the western conference finals. (Granted, the seeding was a bit out of whack, which has since been fixed. But you can only play who they tell you to play.) Stoudemire wound up playing in three mid-season games before it was decided that he would be put on the shelf, as his knees were not recovered enough for the rigors of the NBA. And with his removal from the lineup came more predictions of a lost season. Yet the Suns rose again. And I believe they will in this series.
There is one glaring reason why the Suns lost game five to the Spurs last night. Mike D’Antoni has answered the usual questions about his coaching ability.
His style can’t win a title. Yes, it can. And even the biggest nay-sayers know it, I believe. They may not admit, but they can see it happening.
His team doesn’t play any defense. Yes, it does. No, they’re not the Detroit Pistons, and never will be. But I doubt even the Pistons could have played the defense the Suns did in the fourth quarter of game four. Or in game five, save for the last two minutes when the Suns ran out of gas.
Which brings me to the one criticism that D’Antoni has failed to quell:
His bench is too shallow. Yup, it is. No argument there. It would be easy to say that he should have played Pat Burke, Marcus Banks, or, especially, Jalen Rose in game five. And he should’ve played all three to give his starters more rest, with Stoudemire and Diaw sidelined. But it’s hard to play your bench when you don’t have confidence in them. And this is where I fault D’Antoni. Yes, he should have played his bench more last night. But I don’t know how much it would have helped. The real problem is that he didn’t play them on a consistent basis during the season. And therefore didn’t feel comfortable doing it last night. And that falls squarely on the D’Antoni’s shoulders, since he made the personnel decisions in the off-season, as far as anyone can tell, and the playing time decisions during the season.
The worst thing about the game four incident is that the enormity of Suns effort in seizing the game from the Spurs was lost, due to all the Horry/Nash rhetoric and ramifications. The Suns shut down the Spurs defensively in the closing minutes and won a game no one thought they would win. Including Robert Horry, apparently. To think that the Suns can’t do it again in San Antonio in game six is a more than a little presumptuous. And when it goes to a game seven, I'll take the Suns. And since my nerves will be shot, I can guarantee you I'll be leaving the "immediate vicinity" of my couch. Who knows, I'll probably get so excited that I may wind up 20 feet away. Hopefully I won't have to miss game one of the western conference finals because of it. That would give Shooter an advantage.
To anyone on the east coast who may have headed to bed after three quarters of Wednesday night’s Suns/Mavericks game with the Mavs holding a 91-76 lead and all the momentum, Yogi Berra would like to speak with you. He’ll be in touch. I imagine it’ll go something like, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over . . . “
Wow, what a game. Suns win 129-127 in two overtimes. Where do I start? Oftentimes, as we all know, big matchups that are anticipated in sports don’t measure up to the hype. Occasionally though, they do. The temptation to borrow Sports Illustrated’s cover title “The Epic Battle,” which they used after the third Ali-Frazier fight, a.k.a. the “Thrilla in Manila,” was overwhelming. But then I realized that this was not an epic battle. It sure seemed like one, but in reality it was just a regular season game. And the best one I’ve seen in quite some time, perhaps ever. And the similarities to Ali-Frazier III are uncanny. Like Ali in that bout, the Suns dominated early, racing out to 32-18 end of first quarter lead. Like Smokin' Joe, the Mavs punched back in a big way, whittling the deficit to 60-53 by halftime, and then blitzed the Suns with 38-16 third quarter. And like Ali, the Suns, with one foot in the grave, somehow summoned whatever it is that separates the truly great professional athletes from the unsavory ones we hear too much about, responded, outscoring Dallas 35-20 in the final period, capped off by Steve Nash’s three pointer to tie it with just under three seconds left. Nash had ten points in the final minute of regulation, which began with Dallas holding a seven point lead. The two overtimes were as good and tense as competition can get. The only negative o####ame like this is that the longer it goes on, the more that significant plays during the game get overlooked, such as Shawn Marion flying into the picture to rebound Nash’s initial attempt to tie the game and dishing it back to Nash for the biggie. But I suppose the fact that significant plays get pushed to the back of one’s memory is a by-product of an epic battle. Oops, there I go using that phrase again.
A few observations that I didn’t overlook:
-Heading into tonight, Dirk Nowitzki would’ve been my choice for MVP. After tonight, I’m not sure. One thing I am pretty sure of, though; it’s a two-horse race between he and Nash. (Not to take anything away from Nowitzki, but was I the only one watching who thought he got an inordinate amount of calls from the officials? I won’t elaborate on specific ones here, so as not to take away from a stellar game, but I almost fainted when he got a “T” called on him late in the game. Hard to imagine how a guy that gets that many calls can complain to the refs.)
-All of the critics who keep re-iterating the stereotypical “Steve Nash plays no defense” can now officially cease and desist. In the overtime periods, Nash took a big charge and later had a huge deflection of a pass and subsequently knocked the ball of Jason Terry and out of bounds--a couple of the afore-mentioned plays that may be overlooked considering of the enormity of the outcome. Steve Nash is not a defensive stopper. Never has been, never will be. But enough already.
-Dirk and Steve can fight over the MVP this year, and perhaps next. But soon, very soon, Amare Stoudemire will be mentioned in the same breath. Forty-one points, ten rebounds. Sixteen of nineteen from the field, nine of twelve from the line. If there were any doubts about his health after missing all but three games last season following microfracture surgery, they have just been erased.
-One telling sign; Immediately following the game, before they even broke for a commercial, the local radio broadcast tandem for the Suns, Al McCoy and Tim Kempton, had Amare on for a few minutes. He was noticeably calm and composed, which surprised me after such a big victory. A few minutes later, the local TV station covering the game had Suns assistant coach Alvin Gentry on for an interview. He, too, was subdued--obviously pleased with the victory but saying a couple times that he wouldn’t overstate the importance of the win. There was no celebration, even minor, from the Suns. Though the folks at home no doubt bordered on cardiac arrest on more than one occasion.
-One would think in a double-overtime game between two of the best teams in the league would have been at least fairly close all the way through. The quarter scores I mentioned above show anything but. Which made this game all the more remarkable.
-I keep hearing about each team’s “Big Three.” It doesn’t appear this game did much to discern any significant difference between either team’s three main players. Just one more reason why we are all anxiously awaiting and hopeful for a Suns/Mavericks showdown in the western conference finals. Thankfully, though, there are enough games left in the regular season to allow my heartbeat to return to normal after tonight’s epic battle. (Dang! I’ll try to stop that.)
-The Suns are now 2 ½ games behind Dallas for the #1 seed in the west. I would normally say that it doesn’t matter much. These are the two best teams and the seeding will have little to do with the outcome if and when they meet in the conference finals. However, it appears that the #2 seed will more than likely have to face San Antonio in the second round. I think either team will get by the Spurs, but the matchup could sap a team of some of its remaining energy. Or this could be pure speculation and nothing more, as there is a good bit of the regular season to go yet, and anything can happen in the playoffs as well. Who knows.
This game could have easily filled up one of those half-hour “NFL Films” highlight shows that we have become accustomed to seeing during Super Bowl week. They have one regular season meeting left, a matinee on Sunday, April 1 in Phoenix. Wishing for a repeat of tonight’s festivities would be asking too much, to be sure. But obviously I’m not alone when I expect another go-round in about two and a half months.
For now though, Phoenix is 2-0 in its “Barometer Week,” with Detroit coming up Friday and a game at Denver Saturday. So far, so good.
The Chicago Bulls defeated the Phoenix Suns tonight, 116-103, the Suns’ first loss by more than ten points all season in 51 games, which is a record. But records and winning streaks aren’t what the Suns are after. As their ad campaign says, they have their “Eyes on the Prize.” And if the prize is indeed to come to fruition, Head Coach Mike D’Antoni will need to prove his mettle.
The Suns played without starters Steve Nash and Boris Diaw, and of course have been without backup big man Kurt Thomas for a few weeks now. But the glaring weakness in the Suns games recently has been their lack of defense and their propensity to give up too many uncontested baskets, whether they be in the paint or outside jumpers. The Suns also shoot a significantly higher percentage from the field when Nash is in the lineup, as he gets players the ball when they are open and ready to fire. Any team would miss a point guard of Nash’s caliber, but in addition to the lower field goal percentage, they have a tendency to get out of control on the fast break without Nash running the show for any length of time. And with or without Nash, the fast break isn’t always there, especially now that the Suns have a bit of a league-wide presence, with teams now gearing up to play them and aware of their fast break potency. Stoudemire, and the Suns as a whole, have improved their half-court game since the season started, but it’s not enough. Not yet. There is still work to be done. As is the case on defense, there are too many times when the Suns don’t make the most of a possession. They must overcome the tendency of getting off a poor shot late in the shot clock when the fast break isn’t there.
Defensively, their play as a unit isn’t the problem-when they have all their players available. They usually are pretty adept at weakside help, deflecting or intercepting passes into the paint, and making teams work and use up much of the shot clock. The problem with the Suns lies in the individual defense they play. Other than Shawn Marion and Raja Bell, and sometimes Amare Stoudemire, who has picked up his interior defense noticeably, the Suns’ players aren’t focused enough on individual defensive play. Which makes it difficult to win when a few players are missing, as they have been lately. As a result, their lack of individual defense forces them into thinking they have to double-team a big man in the low post. Whether that mindset is real or imagined, it allows open jumpers, many of which are threes that can greatly affect the outcome o####ame. I’m not sure why the Suns feel they have to do this, as big men on the low block rarely give the Suns a lot of trouble-or any team for that matter, as the NBA has become more and more a perimeter game in recent years. Even a healthy Shaquille O’Neal has been steamrolled by the Suns' style in recent meetings, as he and players with similar styles don’t last too long in the up-tempo proceedings.
To the Bulls’ credit in tonight’s game, Luol Deng stepped up big time, finishing with 29 points and proving to be a handful the entire game. Ben Gordon had 27, but shot poorly. The dagger for Chicago was Kirk Hinrich, who is well on his way to becoming one of the better point guards in the league, and who scorched the Suns during a decisive fourth quarter run with one crucial shot after another. Regarding my earlier point about the individual defense that the Suns are lacking when they put a slightly different lineup on the floor, Deng and Hinrich shot a combined 22-36, with Hinrich going 5-7 from beyond the arc. Every stat in the game was relatively close, save field goal percentage. The Suns shot 40.7%, the Bulls 50.6%. Thus, a thirteen point Chicago victory. It came as no surprise that the Bulls were especially hungry for this win, given the fact that they gave up a 16 point, second half lead in a loss at home to the Suns in Chicago in early January. Not to mention the fact that Bulls coach Scott Skiles coached the Suns a few years back, and no doubt found a little extra satisfaction in the win.
As for the Suns, the effort was there. It always is. And with some players missing, it’s understandable that their play has suffered as of late. But a little more attention to the finer points of winning basketball games against good teams would go a long way. The good news for them is that with a few players ailing, bench players like James Jones, Marcus Banks, and Pat Burke are getting to see significant minutes. Banks especially has elevated his play as of late. And in tonight’s game, even Jalen Rose saw some playing time, hopefully a sign of things to come. This can only help them in the long run. If they focus defensively as well. Of course the bad news is that, while the Suns play adequate team defense when fully healthy, the necessary influx of new players and minutes may make their individual defensive deficiencies even more glaring. No, the Suns don’t have to be a great defensive team to win a title, but stretches of solid “D” are a necessity. And a championship team knows almost instinctively when the “D” needs to be stepped up. I can’t help but think of the Bulls-Suns NBA Finals of ’93, when the Bulls always seemed to have an 8-0 lurking just around the corner, often when you least expected it. An 8-0 run doesn’t sound all that devastating on the surface, but in a game between two fairly evenly matched teams, it is enough to be the difference. A championship team knows that at any moment, a game-altering play or sequence can occur.
Nothing in this writing is to imply that the Suns can’t win a title with their style of play. They can. It’s been done before, and will be done again. The point is this-with their top seven or eight players under contract for a few more seasons, the time is now. This team is on the precipice of winning not one title, but possibly more than one with their lineup. Throw in the fact that they have two first round picks next year, including Atlanta’s, provided that it’s not in the top three, and the future is very bright for Suns fans. Granted, lots of things have to fall into place for any team in any sport to win multiple championships, so to imply that this Suns team is capable of doing so is putting the cart miles in front of the horse. But the Suns management, run superbly from top to bottom by Robert Sarver, one of the best owners in the league, has given Mike D’Antoni the reign to build the team as he has seen fit. And no championship this season does not necessarily constitute a failure. But as we all know, the window of opportunity in sports can close quickly, so for the Suns, the time is now. It’s time to see if Mike D’Antoni can really coach with the big picture in mind.
The Phoenix Suns won their sixth straight game Friday night, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 122-115. The Suns had four players, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Leandro Barbosa, score twenty points or more, and one more, Raja Bell, who just missed, finishing with 18. The Suns had actually been playing adequate defense during their winning streak, but that showed only in flashes, at key times, against the Bucks. Stellar play from Buck guards Michael Redd and Mo Williams contributed to the offensive fireworks. The duo combined for 68 points and made 27 of 42 field goal attempts. Redd was also 12-15 from the free throw line.
Amare Stoudemire appears to be about 80-90% back from his knee ailments, which included microfracture surgery about a year ago. He can dominate at times, which makes me think he is 100% recovered, until I remember things like his average of 37 points versus the Spurs in the ’05 Conference Finals, when he was nearly unstoppable. At this point, he may not be all the way back physically, but he is a smarter and a better-rounded player than he was two years ago. Stoudemire will never be known as a defensive stopper, but he has picked up a knack for blocking shots. He moves better without the ball and understands the game more. He has also improved his outside shot and is getting back into the habit of going to the free throw line, a definite positive considering his free throw percentage. Ever since his little sit down with Mike D’Antoni in the pre-season, in which D’Antoni diplomatically informed him that the Suns were moving forward with or without him, Stoudemire has stepped up his progress and seems to be getting better gradually with each game. The bad news? He still has a tendency to get into foul trouble. And he’s already 24 with only about eight or ten good years left in him. Pretty scary.
Steve Nash’s ability to see the floor and distribute the ball is surpassed only by his ball handling prowess and the ability to shoot with either hand around the rim, often finishing drives with playground-like moves. He has shown an uncanny knack to knock down a couple of big hoops, often three-pointers, when the Suns become stagnant and are in need of a clutch basket. There has been much debate over his worthiness of the two MVP awards bestowed on him, but few players are more valuable to their team than Nash.
Leandro Barbosa has been a pleasant surprise this season. Except perhaps to the Suns front office, who gave him a contract extension in the off-season. His game has improved dramatically the last couple of seasons. He has learned how to use his exceptional quickness, now confidently taking the ball to the hoop on a regular basis and finishing when he gets there. His three point shooting forces defenders to work hard when playing him, and his offensive arsenal continues to grow.
Raja Bell has proven to be a deadly marksman from the outside, which is a bonus considering he was signed to play tough D on Western Conference foes like Kobe Bryant and Manu Ginobili, players who have really hurt the Suns in the past.
Kurt Thomas was the subject of many trade rumors in the off-season, though I couldn’t figure out why. When Thomas is in the game, he give the Suns a defensive presence down low, and he’s got a very good mid-range jumper. He doesn’t have the size to be a big shot blocking threat, but he allows the Suns to play most big men straight up without double-teaming, a luxury the team hasn’t had in quite a while. (In fact, in light of the team’s long drought at the position, when America West Arena was changed to U.S. Airways Center after the merger of the two companies, one local radio personality quipped, “Finally, the Suns have a center.”)
Boris Diaw was also given an extension in the off-season. He is off to a slow start, perhaps in part because he hasn’t played alongside Stoudemire before, and spent much of the season playing without Kurt Thomas as well. Thomas was injured down the stretch and in the playoffs, so Diaw’s role has been changed a little, but he’s a solid player who can do a little bit of everything. His unselfishness sometimes lands him in D’Antoni’s doghouse though, as he regularly passes up open shots. Sounds like a dilemma a lot of coaches would like to have.
To a fan who’s seeing the Suns play for the first time or seldom sees them, the player who stands out consistently is Shawn Marion. Based on his versatility, The Matrix seems to be a perfect nickname for him. Marion does the little things, and some not-so-little things, that affect the outcome. Some don’t show up on the stat sheet, but one would be hard pressed to find a player in the league who does more things on both ends of the floor.
For those who are somewhat familiar with my writing, you’ll remember that this isn’t the first time I’ve extolled the virtues of Marion. You may have heard me mention the fact that Marion was in the top 20 last year in seven categories, including minutes played. I always think it’s going to catch up with him, but so far it hasn’t. The guy’s all over the place. Even though Nash is looked at as the leader of this team, it’s hard to imagine where they’d be without Marion. To go along with his 27 points, he had 14 rebounds, three blocks, four steals, and hit 11-11 free throws in the fourth quarter against the Bucks. Believe it or not, that was not an atypical game for The Matrix. Both Stoudemire and Marion have stated that they want to be the best at their positions in the game. That tandem is a handful for most teams to deal with. Incidentally, as a credit to the Suns drafting prowess, both were picked ninth in the first round.
The Suns currently have a solid seven man rotation. By his own admission, Coach D’Antoni needs to find another player or two to fit in there and get regular minutes. The main candidates:
- Marcus Banks, a backup point guard signed to spell Nash. Banks is getting more and more acclimated to the Suns style and players, and with continued improvement, should see his minutes increase.
- James Jones, a small forward type in his second year with the team. Jones is a decent defender and a good fit to spell the big guard/small forward type spot. He would be getting a lot more playing time on most teams, but hasn’t seen a lot with the Suns yet.
- Jalen Rose, recently signed as a free agent. His playing time has been limited so far, and Rose is perfectly fine with that. He’s stated that it will take some time for him to fit in, but the fact that he can play a few different positions and has invaluable experience only figures to help the team later in the season.
Of course, the Suns Achilles heel has been defense. Their best defenders are Marion, Bell, and Thomas. They actually have several players who are pretty good defenders, but the concept of team defense is one that needs to improve. During the winning streak, they have shown the ability to get stops at crucial times, as they did late against the Bucks. They’ll never be confused with the best defensive teams in the league, but with their offensive style, a marked improvement may be good enough. The Suns have also done something the last few games that they hadn’t shown before-pulling away in the fourth quarter. They still have a propensity to give up big leads, but apparently have learned to weather the storm and grab the momentum back. If they can stay away from major, long term injuries, they stand a good chance to make their third straight Western Conference Finals. And now they seem well-equipped to advance beyond that.
Spent half my life in North Dakota. The other half, so far, in the Valley of the Sun. As a kid, I was always playing, watching, reading, or writing about sports. I lost most of the "playing" along the way, but the rest remains the same. I pledge to refrain from commenting on a blog unless I've read it in its entirety. If I have time, of course.
Carry on.
Email address: rickoblog@ear thlink.net
